Page 17 - Classics Issue

Chateaux Impney’s frst hill climb event was held by the Hagley and District Light Car Club in 1957 on the grounds of the unique Droitwich manor house. Originally built in 1873 by salt magnet John Corbet in the style of a Louis Xlll Chateaux as a gift for his French wife for the princely sum of £247,000, equivalent to circa £16 million today. John’s labour of love was set in 155 acres of parkland with lakes and waterfalls. It had 3000 men working tirelessly on the construction which was fnally completed in 1875. John’s wife Anna left him in 1884 and he opened the grounds to the public, sharing his peaceful haven with the visitors from far and wide until his death in 1901. After his death, the Chateau changed hands a few times and it wasn’t until after the lst World War when it frst became a hotel in 1928 called the Impney House Hotel. Motorsport became the fashionable accessory of the post-war nouveau riche and the Chateaux Impney soon gained a reputation for motorsport events. The heritage really started in earnest on 29th September 1957 when the frst offcially timed Hill Climb event was staged. The competition was a roaring success and the Autocar magazine hailed it as “easily the most picturesque of this country’s sprint and hill climb venues” The event became a frm fxture on the motorsports calendar until 1967. The hotel lost its way during the 1970’s, despite its unrivalled facilities and breathtaking location, the fnances just ran out and inevitably the banks stepped in… So, ffty years later I am talking to Rod Spollen, the man responsible for reviving the event. Rod’s grandfather, a self-made man who started as an apprentice Austin, the Birmingham car makers, before building a successful business spanning property and car dealerships, saw the opportunity to buy the Chateau Impney from the bank in 2012. Having invested considerably in the hotel, with much work still in the pipeline, his ill health meant he handed the reins to his petrolhead grandson Rod. Rod tells me his grandfather raced after the war, so he wanted to revive the historic event in his memory. As he says he has “Castrol R in his blood” so combining his passion for cars with that of running the hotel made good business sense. The family houses their collection of 30 classic cars in the extensive grounds and outbuildings, so it didn’t take 29-year-old Rod more than a few calls to fellow owners and the Chateau Impney Hill Climb was reborn in 2015. Some 200 competitors ran at that revived event on a longer and more challenging track, the success grew and last year the event was attended by 14,000 motorsport fans over the weekend, despite the date clashing with the British Grand Prix. This year’s event will be staged on the 8th and 9th of July, one week before Silverstone and it will be bigger and better than any before. Rod tells me how they are learning on the job to improve the race event but also how they intend to build on the garden party, creating a more family friendly, picnic type atmosphere lacking in 2016. The hotel offers great viewing and VIP terraces around the grounds allow for a spectacular spectator experience. The hotel’s forecourt is given over to the paddocks, whilst a classic car auction takes place in the large conference venue behind the hotel annexes. Rod has the XK120 Jaguar out for us today, his personal favourite, so he shows me the course. It must be great having your own race track at work, as he throws the XK120 hard onto every apex. The obvious parallels to draw here are Goodwood and the immense success Lord “Charlie” March has made of the events down there. Impney is nowhere near on the same scale as Goodwood, but it is a fantastic building (Walt Disney would have been proud of it) in beautiful grounds, with years of genuine motorsport heritage behind it. The passion is clearly there when Rod Spollon talks about the Hill Climb and I feel it will grow and grow as Rod and his very small team fne tune their annual event. I will certainly be there with the family and Paddock Life are tipping this as the event for the summer and one to watch grow. It won’t be knocking Lord March off his mantle anytime soon, but I don’t even think they would want to. This is its own event with bucket loads of history in a magical setting so who knows? Never underestimate a passionate petrolhead Brummie with a great country estate and his own race track…HE HAD CASTROL R40 IN HIS BLOOD